mistletoe, Ethn. KK says "used to treat sores; leaves
boiled in
a little water and
infusion drunk or applied externally to infected wounds" (Kneale 1984:18) ,
*KK gloss
"coolibah
mistletoe (Diplatia grandibractea)"
a. elder sister, Ethn. adult males must avoid their
elder sisters
and not talk to
them, *Mathews says "before puberty". Tindale recorded this meaning for Upper
Barwon dialect
a. river, eg. Gaayili gubilaay bagaaytha 'The children are
swimming in the
river', Mari yanawaan bagaaygu guya ganmali 'The men are going to
the river
to catch fish'
leopardwood tree, Ethn. KK says "cold ash of burnt roots of
bagala
placed on aching teeth to cure pain" (Kneale 1984:19), KK says "damp bark
and leaves
placed on fire to
create smoke. Patient suffering from backache lies on blanket over fire -
heat and smoke relieve back pain" , *KK gives scientific name as "Flindersia malculosa"
native orange tree, Ethn. KK says "leaves boiled in a little
water and infusion
drunk to cure venereal disease" (Kneale 1984:15); Reay (1945:317) notes that
bambul is used to
cure itch, and says "boil down wild orange leaves. The liquid is black and
evil smelling,
but the itch will
leave the child if bathed in this", KK says bambul is a "small
compact tree; has
yellowish fruit
(when ripe). The skin is peeled off and fruit inside eaten", *KK gives
scientific name as
"Capparis
mitchelli"
grey kangaroo, Ethn. an important food source; also a totem,
eg. Bandaarr
bilaarru nhama ngaya thunhi. 'I speared the kangaroo with a spear',
Nhama
bandaarr gaawaan
walaaygu. 'They are taking the kangaroo to the camp', Thaay gaanga nhama
bandaarr
nganha. 'Bring that kangaroo to me!'
1. elder sister, Ethn. adult males must avoid their
elder sisters
and not talk to
them, *Mathews says "after puberty". Tindale and Laves recorded this form
for Namoi
River dialect
echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus [Fp87, Rp192],
Ethn. KK says "quills
were removed by dipping the animal in boiling water and plucking them out,
or by
singing in the fire.
Echidna was cleaned and gutted and cooked in the ashes or baked in an earth
oven".
to hit with (something held in) the hand, eg. Nginda nhama
buruma bumala
'You hit this dog!', Nhama mari ngaya thulugu bumali 'I will hit the
man with a
stick'
wife's mother, mother-in-law, Ethn. an avoided relation.
Reay
(1945:310) says
"until about 1895 a man wishing to speak to his mother-in-law could go part
of the
way to her camp and
then turn back. He could then address her by shouting in the direction in
which he was
facing, and he had
to speak loudly in order that all his wife's relatives could hear what he
was saying",
*Tindale recorded
this form in the Namoi River dialect. He notes that a step-sister of
mother's brother's
wife is also
buyal